Immaculate Deception -- Chapter 3: Into the Labyrinth

     "Start from the beginning again, Captain." EL-Vashti urged as she stood over Crais, once again restrained in the chair. "Begin with your proposal to the Leviathan Research Division of the Science Directorate."
          Perspiration was starting to bead on his forehead, the muscle twitches around his eyes more pronounced. Crais could feel the fullness of his bladder and the burning of the probe pads, affixed to the same blistered areas as the previous day. His discomfort was quickly becoming pain and he was unsure how long he could keep up his composure.
          The Regulator was relentless, tireless. He knew for a fact that had she the availability of an Aurora chair, he would be in that now instead of a simple confinement chair. He counted himself lucky in that small kindness. He licked his dry lips and spoke through a sore and burning throat.
     "Regulator," he grunted, then cleared his throat. "For the fourth time. . .I had the inspiration for a Leviathan-Gunship cross-breeding project when I was a Leading Duty Officer of the prowler divisions assigned to shepherding convoys of new Leviathan acquisitions under the command of Captain Zynkara, twenty cycles ago. I did not have the power then to implement my ideas. After being assigned to captain the Mhultaan, I approached the Science Directorate with my idea. They informed me that it was not a new one. That it had been tried unsuccessfully with dire consequences. I convinced members of the Leviathan Research Division to try again under more controlled circumstances. My proposal was put before First Council and approved.
     "It was at that time the LRD assigned Lieutenant Velorek to me. He was but one of a number of scientists and Technicians engaged for the project." Crais paused a microt for breath, struggled to swallow before continuing. "I had not previously served with him, nor heard anything regarding his service record. Looking into his credentials, he was the perfect choice for the job, knowing more about Leviathan reproduction, gestation and delivery than anyone else at LRD or SD. He was also accustomed to relating with the species used to pilot Leviathans, speaking their language; he had a solid rapport with their council of Elders.
     "When the time came for selection of the Leviathan in question, it was agreed that a younger female--one who had never previously given birth--would be our best choice. I selected Moya from my own Leviathan convoy because she was the one best meeting that criterion. I was eager to implement the project and did not wish to wait a cycle or more for another suitable subject to be acquired.
     "The first difficulty arose when Moya's Pilot refused to cooperate with the impregnation process. She held the project up for nearly half a cycle while we awaited Velorek's return with a replacement Pilot."
          Crais paused again, nearly gagging from the parched feeling at the back of his throat. The lead Medical Tech came forward with a small cup of water but was waved away by EL-Vashti. She picked up an instrument from a nearby rolling table and held it in Crais' line of sight. It was an unusually long nasal speculum whose tip shot tiny sparks when she depressed the trigger mechanism. She leaned toward his face with it and he fought to remain calm.
     "What is that thing?" he asked a tremor arising in his voice.
     "Let's just say you would never need to worry about the problem of unsightly nose hair," Dr. Khetyr said dryly, not looking up from his console.
          EL-Vashti held it within denches of his nose, allowing the sparks to fall onto his mustache and the delicate skin of his upper lip. Crais flinched as much as the mind probe halo would allow and clinched his teeth. His eyelids fluttered rapidly and a growl escaped his throat without him realizing it.
     "Our Captain almost has mivonks," EL-Vashti smiled stonily as she leaned away from him. "No more stalling. Continue or you will find out in a most uncomfortable way just what this device is capable of."
     "Velorek finally returned with the replacement Pilot," Crais grunted, angry now and not afraid to allow any of them to see it. "I ordered the execution and removal of the uncooperative Pilot and the immediate installation of the new one. It was at this time that Velorek tampered with the project. I don't know how. I don't know why. My people tore that Leviathan apart and came away with nothing. Your own people came here to question Velorek and killed him with your methods before he could talk!"
     "These things happen," Dr. Khetyr observed quietly, still monitoring Crais' EM readings.
     "This same Leviathan, Moya, has been under constant supervision by my people ever since." Crais barked. "Discovery of the reason why that ship did not conceive is my top priority as sanctioned by High Command. Your presence and this ridiculous farce of an IAD inquest are now postponing that mission!"
          EL-Vashti set the device down on the rolling cart nearest her and approached him. She placed her hands on the back of the chair to either side of his head, leaning until her nose was nearly touching his. The look of fiery hatred in his eyes was lost on her. She had obviously seen it too many times before to be phased. She stared back with teasing eyes and a sarcastic smile.
     "Now, you can tell me, Crais," she said softly into his face, her fragrance surrounding him and making him nauseous. "When exactly did you ally yourself with the traitor Velorek and why? Was it riches, power, sex?"
          Crais' face was growing red with fury. His arms strained against the bindings holding him to the chair. His hands longed to wrap around her long, elegant highborn throat and silence her venomous tongue forever. A growl was rising in his throat again.
     "Tell me, Crais. The whole truth here and now and you have my solemn vow as an IAD Agent that I will represent you fairly at your Tribunal." She was nearly whispering now. "I can even guarantee your execution will be swift and painless."
     "Get away from me you vicious tralk!" Crais snapped, spittle flying from his lips.
          Never one to curse, Crais shook with rage at his loss of composure. EL-Vashti laughed in his face before straightening and addressing the rest of her Team.
     "Vicious tralk." She mocked, chuckling icily. "Now that is original. I don't think anyone has ever called me that before."
          A round of laughter came from her audience, all but Crais whose teeth were about to shatter from the force of being clenched so tightly. Suddenly she was in his face again, all softness gone. Her eyes were like permafrost as she touched her nose to his.
     "You can forget about the swift and painless part, Captain." She hissed before standing up again. "My Team physician tells me you tried to tamper with him two nights ago. Sending that vapid little Lieutenant Teeg to his quarters was yet another stupid mistake on your part. Then again, how could we expect anything else from a first-genner such as yourself?"
     "Frell you!" Crais swore despite himself, violently tugging his arms and legs against the restraints.
     "No thank you," she replied coolly. "I don't recreate with traitors."
          Crais saw an opening and took a gamble.
     "You don't recreate with anyone. . .except your team physician." He hurled at her smiling viciously.
          She didn't react. She was too much of a professional to respond to a common jibe. Still, Crais knew in his gut he was on the right track. It came to him when Teeg described her failure to get Khetyr into bed. They were obviously together. Now the problem would be to discover how long and to what extent they had flouted convention or tampered with orders.
     "Typical first-genner," EL-Vashti smiled in return. "Who I choose to recreate with is the least of your worries at this microt."
          She retrieved the electro-stimulus nasal speculum again. "I think it would be advisable to bring your second in command in on this session. She may well have valuable information that will shed light on your treachery, Captain. Or perhaps your co-conspirators, Lt. Larell and Officer Sun?"
     "For the last time," Crais snarled, lips working violently around the words. "I am no traitor. The Peacekeepers are my life. Their goals and mission are mine. I stand by my blood oath until death."
     "I believe you're afraid your little harem may give us the information you won't," EL-Vashti countered swinging the device casually near his face again as she paced before him. "It certainly couldn't be that you care for their welfare. First-genners lack the ability to feel true loyalty to their comrades."
      "Lieutenant Teeg is a loyal officer as are both Larell and Sun," Crais said now trying to calm his tone. "They are not a part of this. . .this farce."
      "You made Teeg a part of it when you sent her to my physician's quarters two nights ago." EL-Vashti snapped, spinning toward him suddenly. "While subterfuge may be common on your ship, it is not tolerated by an IAD team on assignment."
          She tossed the speculum onto the nearest table. It skipped, bounced and landed on the deck with a loud clatter and sparks flying from its tip. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she crossed her arms over her chest.
      "Escort the captain back to his quarters," she ordered the leading Medical Tech. "Then I want lieutenants Teeg and Larell brought here for questioning at once."



     "I don't care how you do it," Crais told his server in a deadly tone. "I care only that it is done and without any of the IAD personnel knowing about it."
          The server nodded his head solemnly and bowed. "Understood."
          As he turned to leave Crais' quarters the doors slid open to admit Lt. Teeg. She was in a horrible state; red welts angry on her pale face and hands, bruises around her nose and mouth and her eyes red-rimmed. She had obviously been treated more roughly than Crais. He could not tell if it was due to her lower rank or the growing frustration of the Regulator. He knew, however, that it was a dangerous sign. He had to put a stop to EL-Vashti once and for all and soon, before he actually wound up in the dock before a Tribunal.
      "Lieutenant," Crais said taking in her battered appearance and hair in disarray.
      "Sir," she replied, voice cracking. "I told them nothing of consequence."
      "You had nothing to tell them," he said getting up and coming around to the front of his desk. He took her shoulders in his hands and turned her to face him. "I explained this to the Regulator, but . . ."
     "She's out for blood, Captain." Teeg said bitterly. "She will stop at nothing. I thought for a while that she would . . .kill me."
     "I would never allow that," Crais said earnestly. Another second officer as loyal as Teeg would be difficult if not impossible to find.
          He touched her face gently and the look of hope in her eyes made him draw his hand away as if burned. He patted her shoulders again then returned to sit behind the desk.
      "Do you have word on Lt. Larell?" Crais asked her casually.
      "Her condition prohibited the normal mode of questioning," Teeg replied. "Regulator EL-Vashti was more than slightly displeased as a result."
      "I have an idea, Lieutenant." He said finally, eyes very bright. He pressed a button on the panel to his right. "Security three zelka scramble activated."
          He began to speak rapidly, "I want you to forget about breaking their signal shielding. What I need now is to get a message back to Kordaen and the only way to do that is to ride one of their signals out of this ship. It's standard IAD procedure to send a daily report back to their Directorate. We'll use one of these to get our signal out undetected. I need for you to get your best Techs on it immediately. When you have secured a way through their security protocols, I want a scrambled message sent to the Genetics Directorate via High Command."
     "Genetics Directorate?" Teeg said completely perplexed.
     "Trust me," Crais said softly. "This is one twist in the labyrinth that vicious. . .Regulator. . .will not see coming."



          Khetyr soaped EL-Vashti's back, buttocks and thighs with long lingering strokes of the sponge. Her body was coiled as tightly as a spring. She stood spread-legged with her back to him, her hands resting on the shower wall. The water from the massaging head pounded onto her skull causing her long hair to flow downward like rivers of dark silk around her body. Her breathing was shallow, her flesh unyielding.
          She had been in this state since failing to secure information from either Teeg or Larell. Khetyr had seen her go hard on a suspect before, but the savageness with which she tortured the obviously ignorant Teeg was difficult to watch. It was as though in knowing the young woman was innocent of wrong doing, she wished to destroy her body and soul. Perhaps it was Teeg's unflagging loyalty to Crais that got her going. Not being able to use their standard methods on Larell only served to send her into a fury. He shuddered at the memory of her face when the heavily pregnant Larell was escorted into their lab.
     "Frelling grolash," she mumbled, her voice nearly drowned out by the sound of the water falling on them both. "And his two frelling tralks."
     "Lil," he said pulling her body against his and pressing his lips to her ear. "Let it go."
    "If he wasn't so popular with High Command," she said angrily. "Jinn, I swear I would have cut his tongue out right there just like I did with that commando a cycle ago."
    "You need to try to accept the fact that Crais is innocent," Khetyr soothed.
          She tried to jerk away from him but he held her fast.
    "I don't care about innocence or guilt anymore, Jinn," she said, almost a sob. "I just want to bring him down."
    "That's not logical, Lil," Khetyr reasoned. "It's not our mission. We came here to find out the truth, not rewrite history."
   "It wouldn't be the first time a team cashiered an innocent," she said, finally allowing him to enfold her in his arms and rock her back and forth.
    "It's time to cut our losses and go home, Lil." He said gravely. "We do not want to endanger ourselves. If we have no viable evidence, High Command is going to step in on his behalf. Then where will we be? Up on charges? Facing a Tribunal. . .with Crais making the accusations? We are not innocent, Lil. We would not survive it."
     "I can't let it go," she insisted shaking her head.
     "You'll have to, or lose everything you've made for yourself and bring shame to your House." He reasoned turning off the taps and wrapping her in a towel. "In the two cycles we've been together I've never tried to force you to do anything, but now I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. We have to stop this and go back to the Directorate.
     "We're not talking about punishment. We're talking about being in the dock before a Tribunal and our own torture and executions. The head of an EL-Vashti has never hung on a jinka pole in recorded Peacekeeper history. You don't want yours to the first." He concluded sitting beside her on the bed.
     "I would never let it come to that," she said touching his face tenderly.
     "I know you wouldn't mean for it to happen," he replied kissing her fingertips gently. "But if you don't stop now, it's going to happen anyway."
     "If only I had access to an Aurora Chair," she said sullenly.
    "High Command would never sanction that. Not in the case of so powerful an officer." Khetyr countered. "Please, Lil. Don't do this to us. Our future is secured. We don't need to destroy Crais."
    "One more round," she said lying back on her bed. "One more round tomorrow and I will. . .consider it."

   "Lil," Khetyr sighed before joining her.